Managers do not comply

HIGHVELD – Mr James Masango, DA Member of the Provincial Legislature, said many senior municipal officials in Mpumalanga do not comply with the minimum requirements to hold their positions. “Not one Mpumalanga municipality has both a municipal manager and chief financial officer who comply with minimum competency guidelines as set down by national treasury, despite threats by Mr Pravin Gordhan, Finance Minister, that all non-compliant personnel would have been removed more than 10 months ago.”

The incompetence was revealed in a written response by Mr Simon Skhosana, MEC for the Mpumalanga Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, to the DA.

He stated that only the municipal manager of Mbombela Municipality complied with treasury’s minimum competency requirements for municipal managers, while only the chief executive officer of the Chief Albert Luthuli and Lekwa municipalities complied as set down for those.

The regulations were promulgated in 2007 in accordance with stipulation in the Municipal Finance Management Act and had to be implemented by 1 January.

The treasury warned in April last year that non-complaint personnel would be removed should the deadline not be met.

All the Mpumalanga municipalities, except Mbombela municipality, have applied for an extension to get their compliance in order.

Only 10 have been approved, while six applications are still in progress and the remaining four are yet to be considered.

Mr Masango said the incompetence within the municipalities had contributed to poor service delivery.

He alleged corruption and a lack of accountability was common in most of the municipalities.

“Should the remaining 10 extensions not be granted, the MEC has not choice but to comply with legislation by removing incompetent personnel and replacing them with suitably skilled and qualified people,” said Mr Masango.